I want you I get a coffee table just so I can have this book in it!
Gorgeous variety of images, visual kaleidoscope of people’s experiences and love for America expressed in a multitude of medians.
I have at least 15 favorites that I want to be the backgrounds on my computer.
The art in this book may seem aggressive or political to some but that is the point, it is expressions of angst, fear, hope, desire for justice.... and so much more in today’s increasingly claustrophobic political climate.

A BEAUTIFUL book of posters curated by the Creative Action Network collected from 100 different artists over the first 100 days of the Trump administration. The messages are both powerful and inspiring and speak to the most basic tenants of what has always and will continue to make America great. I so appreciate turning the campaign slogan on its head to prove that there is more progress to be made, but we don't need to go backwards- our history is full of greatness and our achievements of equality and acceptance continue to make it true. Our diversity is beautiful.

This is a glorious book. Reading it reminded me, “It’s great to live here!” The book is a testament to all that we can relish, delight in, be proud of—freedom of speech, immigration, kindness. But also reminders—to me anyway—of things like agriculture and national parks. More to be grateful for. And then there were the surprises. Like baseball. :) Sure, we can improve. But this is a gorgeously illustrated reminder that we are great. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

These were mostly simple posters, many with only words. I thought there would be more drawings or paintings. My favorite was a drawing of landmarks.

Great coffee table book. Each page tells of one thing that makes America great. Ordered in alphabetical order and ranging from baseball to freedom of speech, the pages are filled with responses from Americans around the nation. Pictures accompany the text, in which the art and calligraphy are amazing. One aspect that I love about is how the book is the compilation of thoughts of many writers and works of many artists. It truly is a melange of all the thoughts of America.

What Really Makes America Great by Creative Action Network Foreword by Steven Heller art director author and editor, introduction by Aaron Perry-Zucker and Mark Slavkin Co-Founders of Creative Action Network is an amazing visual book with 100 posters ready for you.
Born for replying with creativity at the motto of the current administration and President, artists, creatives, painters, seriously tried all their best for thinking at a question that after all is simple but difficult at the same time: why the USA is a great place? There were seeds planted along the way, starting from the founders but also from all that citizens who, during the centuries, asked for more rights and freedoms.
We all know that this country has been per centuries a land of possibilities but sometimes it is also true that people forget the potentialities of a place, the richness of a country, not just in economical terms but in its own beauty and specificities; and so these artists, through stunning paintings, will remark you this: the belief that anything is possible, agriculture, innovation, but also immigration, Journalism, Hollywood, Freedom of the press, kindness, religious freedom, public lands for a total of 100 voices, 100 posters, 100 visions of the USA.
This one is the creative, sometimes angry answer to this conservative administration. With a touch of polemic, remarking the results reached by the USA during these past centuries; the USA remains a land and a dream for so many people in the world.
I loved in particular a beautiful, pacific, poetic painting of the USA seeing as a land of flowers.
The visual book will be released this October 23 but you can start to pre-order it.

I thank Netgalley for this eBook.

Anna Maria Polidori

What Really Makes America Great is an important timepiece. It doesn't just illustrate the traditional views of what America represents-- it is accentuated by the power and feelings we are experiencing today-- now, in this tumultuous political climate.

The large collection of images are expressed from simple to complex design, monotone to brilliant color and modern to classical poster styles. Many contributing contemporary artists have come together and united a powerful and profound voice of the heart of America.

Several that really stood out (spoke) to me were Everyone Welcome by Crystal Sacca and Freedom of Choice by Jason Roache Sacca's replaces the stars of the flag with delicate daubs of skin tone representing immigration through our vast diversity; while Roache's powerful use of hand gestures represent (for me) power, peace and defiance-- described here as peace, protest and resistance. Also, Beth Kerschen's Landmarks truly captures the diverse landscape of American culture in its vastly different appearances throughout the country.

I found Adam Doyle's The Belief That Anything Is Possible both full of hope and magical.

Art with a purpose is the mission of the Creative Action Network. Here, they've assembled an exhibition that is a brilliant display, an exhaustive collection that truly is America. America was great, is great and will always be great as long as all people's voices are heard across the land.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Creative Action Network put out the call for posters depicting What Makes America Great and received a wide variety of artwork in response. I love that these works are from such a range of artists. Though most seem to be created via digital means, there are a few created with other artistic mediums. The answers to the posed question and the styles of the artists vary widely however, making for an interesting and thought-provoking collection.

Thank you to Netgalley, Creative Action Network and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

WHAT REALLY MAKES AMERICA GREAT is a collection of posters Creative Action Network's artists created to answer the question "What really makes America great?"' It s not only visually stunning but also thought provoking, and the answers to the question vary dramatically. I was moved by many of them. Even just viewing them all together reminds you how varied our answer to that question may be.

There is a section at the very end with brief contributing artist bios, as well as information on Creative Action Network. Definitely recommend!